August Leaves
by TaylorMomsen
Summary: After the final battle Cornelia decides she's through being a guardian and cuts all ties with her old life. Years later when Kandrakar comes calling will she be able to resist? Will she be able to resist him? CxC Sex/Swearing/Violence.
1. A night sky

**Title:** August Leaves

**Author: **TaylorMomsen

**Summary:** After the final battle Cornelia decides she's through being a guardian and cuts all ties with her old life. Years later when Kandrakar comes calling will she be able to resist? Will she be able to resist _him_?

**Rating: **M. Swearing/Violence/Sex.

_Decided to make this into a story so bare with me, may take me a while to update but I just really need to get this out there. There definitely aren't enough CxC fics on this site.  
_

_So before you read this you should know:_

_In my story they're older now so I'm trying to make it more realistic with violence and death. In the actual show no one ever really got hurt (it was a kids show and they were 13) but I'm trying to make this so that it reflects real life (with some magic thrown in.)_

_I've only ever seen the cartoons, comics held no appeal for me once I found out CxC didn't end up together._

_Only briefly just re-watched them, so cut me some slack if some info is wrong._

_Since Meridian is another world (planet) I've taken creative license and put it next to Saturn (you'll see why.)_

_Tried to keep the characters as in character as possible but I just wanted some good old fluff, too much angst on this site._

_C&C are 18/17 in my fic because A) there is a mild sex scene and B) whenever I watch the show I always imagined them as older. I just cringed whenever their age was mentioned, especially Hay Lins. BTW if 'underage' sexual situations bother you: I'm in the Uk so legal age here is 16 so that's what it is on Meridian ok. Also they're in a committed monogamous relationship for over a year so get over it._

_Some scenes/lines you may recognise. I borrowed a few sentences from Scrubs, clueless and the last scene from Armageddon because it just fit so fucking perfectly._

_Also there is swearing and some sexy stuff._

_Anyway, enjoy!_

* * *

"Tomorrow is the big battle; we need to make sure we are completely prepared. There can be no mistakes." Will frowned as she paced the basement of the Silver Dragon restaurant.

Gathered around her were the other guardians and many members of the rebellion, including Blunk.

"I think we've strategized enough, the rest is down to luck at this point." Taranee spoke softly.

"Yeah Will, we've been at this for hours. There's nothing else we can do right now. I need to get my eight hours beauty sleep or I am going to be useless tomorrow." Cornelia added.

"I don't think it's working Corny, maybe you should try sleeping for a whole month." Irma announced with a grin.

Cornelia rolled her eyes before replying; "If that's the case then you'd need to go into hibernation."

Irma lent over to Taranee and whispered "I'm already envisioning duct tape over her mouth," which made her snicker.

"Guys!" Will yelled. "This isn't the time for jokes or for sleep, we seriously-"

"-They're right Will." Caleb interrupted from where he was leaning against the wall, observing the conversation. "My men need to rest up. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"We all know exactly what we need to do Guardian; we can't do anything more until tomorrow and I for one would like to spend what might be my last night surrounded by family and friends… and some good ale." Vathek stepped forward addressing the red headed girl.

"Hear, hear!" The rebels chimed in agreement.

"We're your friends too." Hay Lin muttered dejectedly.

"I know Air Guardian but surely you would like to spend tonight with your own family?"

Hay Lin gave him a grateful smile and nodded her head. With her grandmother already imprisoned inside the jewel from Queen Weira's crown she couldn't think of anything better than spending the night with her parents, eating some delicious food from the restaurant and watching movies.

Will gave a heavy sigh. "I suppose. It would be nice to spend the night with my mom… and Dean."

"Plus your calculator would be pretty upset if you didn't say goodbye." Irma taunted.

The guardians failed to notice the confused look upon the rebel's faces.

* * *

Outside in the humid spring air Cornelia pulled out her cell phone and dialed her home number. Bringing it to her ear she waited patiently for someone to answer.

"Hello, Hale residence, can I help you?"

"Lucy is my mother there?"

"I'm afraid not Miss. Hale, your mother has hired me to watch Lillian until the morning. What time can I expect you home?"

"Oh." Cornelia toed the tip of her boot on the floor and grimaced. "Actually I think I'm gonna crash at Hay Lin's so don't wait up for me."

"Does Mrs. Hale know you are staying out tonight?"

Cornelia rolled her eyes at Lillian's babysitter. "Yes." She lied. "And besides you're paid to babysit the brat, not me."

"Ok Miss. Hale." Lucy responded as Cornelia hung up.

"Who was that?" Will asked as she came out through the Silver Dragon's back door.

"Lucy, Lillian's Mexican babysitter. Or maybe she's Spanish?" Cornelia mused to herself. "I don't know."

"You just can't get the staff these days huh?" Will tried to joke.

"Yeah it's real great having all this money and maids and whatever. But the one night I wanna just sit in with my parents and spend time with them… well they're already out enjoying themselves."

"Why don't you phone their cell? I'm sure if you explained-"

"Explained what? Oh hi mom I'm planning to battle some evil prince tomorrow so that Elyon, yeah Elyon you remember her? well so that she can have the throne and rule over another world, so please come back and hang out with me in case I end up dying tomorrow."

Will flinched. "Fair point. I'm not saying tell them the truth. Just say you want to spend time with them."

"You clearly do not know my parents."

"So what are you going to do tonight?"

"I told Lucy I was crashing at Hay Lin's…"

Will looked at Cornelia with uneasy eyes. She was upset that Cornelia's parents didn't take much of an interest in their eldest daughter but at the same time she knew Hay Lin should really get to spend the night alone with her parents.

"Stop stressing Will. I'm not actually gonna gate-crash Hay Lin's family time. I'll just… I'll think of something."

"You could… you could come to mine?" Will offered.

"Ugh Will, we both know you want to spend the night with me about as much as I want to spend it with Blunk. Go be with your family, seriously I'll be fine."

Will laughed and leaned in to give Cornelia a hug. "If you're seriously stuck for a place tonight you're always welcome."

In a rare moment of affection Cornelia squeezed Will on the shoulder mid hug. "Thanks, but I'll be fine. Now get going."

Cornelia groaned inwardly as she watched Will walk away. At this rate she was going to end up spending the night sleeping in Blunk's sewer house. On second thoughts she'd rather fold to Meridian and ask Phobos if she could stay at the palace than go anywhere near Blunk's '_home_.'

* * *

Cornelia walked back down to the basement to find only the rebels and Hay Lin were still there, the other guardians had already left for home.

"Hey, I thought you left already." Hay Lin smiled brightly at the pretty blonde.

"Lucy's babysitting." She didn't need to say anymore. Hay Lin knew Cornelia and the babysitter didn't get along. The problem was that Lucy was so highly-strung and too eager to please her parents. She even looked down upon Cornelia's friends because their parents weren't as wealthy as the Hale's. It was all about social status for Lucy.

Hay Lin made a face of displeasure which caused Cornelia to laugh. "See even you hate her and you don't hate anyone."

"Well she is very… Well she is… What I mean is she's a-"

"-Complete bitch?" Cornelia finished for her as Hay Lin's eyes went wide.

"Just stay here tonight." Hay Lin offered sincerely, changing the topic.

Cornelia jumped as she felt a strong pair of arms wind themselves around her slim waist. She felt someone's hot breath of the side of her neck and she relaxed as she inhaled the unique scent of her boyfriend.

"If Cornelia's staying anywhere tonight, it's with me." He smiled suggestively placing a small kiss on the side of her neck. Hay Lin blushed uncontrollably and averted her eyes.

Cornelia lent her head back so that it rested on his broad shoulder. "I thought you'd left for Meridian already?"

"Without saying bye to my favourite girl?"

She felt her cheeks flame at his charming words without her consent. "I bet you say that to all the Earth girls." She chided with a laugh.

She turned in his arms so that she could face him, her nose now level with his collarbone. She raised her head to look him in the eye as she smiled.

"Did you really mean it?"

"What, that you're my favourite girl?"

"No stupid." Cornelia rolled her eyes. "That I could stay with you tonight?"

"Where else did you think you were going?"

She sighed contently, hoping to convey her thanks to him with a light kiss to the hollow at the base of his throat. She felt him shiver as he pulled her closer, discreetly rubbing his body against hers.

"You ready to go?" Julian called over to his son as Blunk created a fold back to the rebel hide out in Meridian.

* * *

"Wow, how very haute couture." Cornelia mumbled in disdain as she eyed Caleb's room which consisted solely of a double bed and a small dresser.

"Yeah…." He shrugged, trailing off as he realised this was the first time he and Cornelia had ever been in a bedroom alone together. "I've never really had a bedroom."

"I suppose being a rebel you can't exactly have a P.O box address for Phobos to write to you at." She felt kind of sad as she realised Caleb had never really known a true home. Whilst it was true that her parents were out more than they were actually at home at least she had always had a stable place to live.

The new rebel hide out was an old abandoned farm house deep in the Meridian swamps. Most of the windows were boarded up allowing little light to seep in to the already dark rooms. A few small candles were littered about the place affording them the ability to see. The farm house consisted of seven bedrooms, all of them occupied by other members of the rebellion. She could hear laughing and glasses clinking from the make shift living room on the bottom floor as the rebel's enjoyed an evening with family and friends.

"Do you want to go join the others?" Caleb asked as Cornelia perched delicately on the end of his bed.

She sighed and her head fell forward, her golden hair framing her face with the movement. He itched to run his fingers through her silky hair.

"Not really." She replied. "I'm not really in the partying mood. But if you want to go that's fine. I understand you want to spend time with your dad."

He moved forward from where he was leaning against the door frame and knelt before her. "There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you."

She looked up, her eyes wide in surprise. "That was almost romantic." She smiled softly to let him know that she was teasing him.

He rolled his eyes as he stood up and extended his hand to her. "You want romantic? Come with me."

* * *

They walked for about ten minutes through the swamp, silently holding hands and sneaking bashful looks at each other before they arrived at a clearing of unruly grass surrounded by tall oak trees.

Caleb came to a stop and turned towards Cornelia. She looked so out of place in this dirty muddy swamp. Her golden blonde hair shimmered down her back and she wore a pristine strappy white sundress which showed off a vast expanse of her tanned slim legs. Caleb let his eyes linger there for a moment before placing a finger under her chin and making eye contact with her.

"So I know the surroundings aren't that great but… look up."

She scrunched her eyebrows up in confusion before doing as he said. Slowly raising her head Cornelia let out an audible gasp as she looked at the night sky. Up above her and covering the vast expanse of the sky was the planet Saturn with its large rings making beautiful patterns all around the smaller stars in the air. She realised that all her time in Meridian had been spent fighting and she never had the chance to appreciate the beauty of the land.

Caleb studied her silently as she gaped in wonder. His heart pounded violently in his chest, making her happy seemed to do that to him. It was an addictive feeling. He may only have been eighteen years old but war had made his grow up fast. He never entertained the idea of having a girlfriend or fooling around with girls as many guys at his age had. All his thoughts had been focused on defeating Phobos and rescuing his father. That was until that fateful day Cedric had captured him and thrown him into a prison pit. Cornelia and the rest of the Guardians had come along to rescue him and even though his thoughts were on escaping from the castle he couldn't help but admire the tall slender blonde in her revealing outfit.

She was the only girl to ever capture his attention.

He sat down on the grass, grimacing as the mud soaked through to his jeans. Cornelia looked down and gave him a disapproving look. Clearly she would not be joining him in the dirt.

She raised a hand and before Caleb knew what was happening all around him luscious green grass began to grow along with bright coloured flowers blossoming beneath his very fingertips. In a matter of seconds Cornelia had transformed the unruly field into a beautiful garden. He stared in awe at his girlfriend, she truly was amazing.

She sat down gracefully next to him, flicking her hair over her shoulder with a smug smile.

"You should be a landscape artist with a talent like that." He told her with a laugh.

"I know, I'm amazing." She winked over at him.

"You are." He replied seriously.

She moved closer so that she could touch her mouth to his and gave him a soft kiss. He wasn't prepared to let her go so he deepened the kiss and was rewarded with a breathy little moan from her.

"I could do this all day." She panted against his lips.

"After we win tomorrow, we will."

She smiled before returning to kiss at his lips. Her tongue slid out to meet his as she closed her eyes at the warm sensation that was running through her body. Unconsciously she moved to straddle him, without breaking the kiss and placed her hands on his shoulders for support. If he was surprised by her boldness he wisely didn't mention it and just kept kissing her with all the passion he could muster.

He broke the kiss to trail hot wet open mouthed kisses down the column of her throat and the arch of her neck. He inhaled deeply smelling the expensive perfume that lingered on her skin mixed with her own natural smoky scent. He felt her fingers dig in to the flesh of his shoulder through his thin t-shirt as she began to lightly rock her body against his, creating a delicious friction.

Her head fell back as she gyrated her hips in small circles, her mouth releasing small pleas that sounded vaguely like his name. He bought his hand up to support the back of her head and ran his fingers through her silky mane.

He couldn't take much more and began to push back against her, his hardness making contact with her inner thigh. He groaned aloud. Her head snapped up upon hearing that sound, her eyes hot and deadly.

"_Do. That. Again._" She hissed.

Caleb eyed her curiously before once again bringing his hips up to meets hers. Her mouth opened in shock as her eyes glazed over. Suddenly she was pouncing forward, her lips locking to his in a violent clash of tongues and teeth. He fell back from the unexpected attack and Cornelia followed suit, spreading herself out fully on top of him. She continued to attack his lips, biting and nibbling at any skin she could find. Her hands clawed at his shirt beneath her as she pulled it upwards to explore his hard stomach. Her hand hesitated slightly before reaching for the button on his jeans.

Caleb sat up instantly, holding his girlfriend at arms length.

"Cornelia, what are you doing?"

She smiled suggestively before leaning forward to whisper in his ear; "I want you, all of you. Tonight." She had never felt so bold in all her life, but she couldn't deny the truth to her words.

"I don't think-"

"-Don't you dare!" She cut him off with a hiss. "I know you want this." She ground down on him and felt his hardness between her legs.

"Of course I do. Why would I not? You're beautiful-"

"-You think I'm beautiful?"

"You know you are. You're gorgeous Cornelia. But not only that… you… you…and you don't want… not now…" Caleb trailed off unable to find the words he was looking for.

"Ditch the hero complex." She snarled. "I'm not some damsel in distress whose virginity needs protecting. I'm an adult Guardian with kick ass powers; I'm your equal so quit treating me like I don't know what I want."

He laughed without meaning to. Cornelia's feisty side was just so endearing. She glared at him so he decided to speak before she made him plant food.

"That's not what I was thinking Cornelia. All I meant was we don't need to rush into anything. I didn't bring you here tonight expecting anything. I want your… our first time together to be special you deserve that."

"But it is special." She smiled, placated. "It's with you."

"You deserve so much more than a fumble in the grass. I told you I could be romantic and I want to prove that to you."

"Caleb, I don't need romance. All I need is you. If I wanted flowers I could give them to myself in two seconds flat." She laughed. "All I need is you. Besides who says this isn't romantic? Look at the sky!"

"You sure this isn't a reaction to the fact you're worried about tomorrow?"

"I'm not even thinking about tomorrow." She answered honestly. "And I should hope during what we were just doing you weren't thinking about battles or Phobos either." She smiled saucily.

"It's just… I, I mean… well…."

Cornelia stood up abruptly annoyed at his lack of action. "Seriously what is your problem? Most guys would be begging at my feet if I'd just asked them to _fuck me_." She spat, purposely baiting him.

He sprang to his feet, an angry expression on his face. "I'm not most guys Cornelia."

"Yeah well the Prince Charming act is getting old, real fast. We've been dating for over a year and the most we've ever done is take off our shirts!"

"Sorry for being a gentleman!" He all but yelled at her, frustrated at her behaviour. She turned away from him and he cursed, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "_Shit_. Sorry. I didn't mean to yell."

She dropped her defensive stance when she saw the hurt in his eyes. Sighing heavily she closed the gap between them. "I want this, why don't you?"

"I just didn't want to without telling you… without saying… that… well saying that… _fuck_…."

"Spit it out already."

"Will you shut up for a minute? I'm trying to tell you that I'm in love with you!" He blurted out angrily.

For a moment there was no noise to be heard anywhere on Meridian. Cornelia stood completely still, eyes wide and focused on her boyfriend. His eyes were looking anywhere but at her. She couldn't believe what he had just said. Her eyes started to water against her will and she sniffed loudly to try to keep the tears at bay.

"It wasn't meant to make you cry. Not the reaction I was hoping for."

She shook her head but no sound would leave her mouth. She had known she loved him from the moment he was captured by The Knights of Vengeance and she had broken down crying hysterically in front of all her friends. She just didn't have the guts to tell him.

Finally she managed to find her voice; "You really mean it?"

He looked up, startled at hearing her soft voice whispering to him. He nodded, wrapping his arms around her hips and pulling her close so that her chest was flush with his. "Even if you can't say it back, I mean it. I love you. You annoy me more than I ever thought possible, but… I want to spend every irritating minute with you."

She laughed through her tears before smiling brightly at him. The sight took his breath away.

"I love you too." She crooned. "So much that I'll even overlook that obvious insult. I feel like I'm a better person when I'm with you, as cheesy as that sounds."

The raw honesty in her voice rendered him speechless. He decided to plant a soft kiss on the tip of her nose as he pulled her back down to the ground with him. She lay with her ear pressed against his chest, listening to the rhythmic thumping of his heart.

She raised herself up on her elbow so that she could lean down and kiss him. Her eyes fluttered shut at the intimate contact. His hands made their way down to the hem of her dress and he paused, asking her silent permission. She took a deep breath before sitting up slightly and slowly pulling her sundress over her head. She heard Caleb suck in a sharp breath at the sight of her.

She was flawless, sitting there above him in nothing but a matching fire engine red bra and panties. Her skin was tanned and toned, her long golden hair cascading down her back, the ends resting lightly on his stomach.

"Are you sure?" He had to ask one final time.

She nodded and started to pull his top over his head, which he happily obliged. She stared at the smooth expanse of his newly exposed skin and felt a wave of heat rush through her body. Her hands delicately trailed the contours of his defined abdomen before she lent down to kiss at his collarbones. He panted at her ministrations, his mind crazy with pleasure. All he could think about was finally being inside her; he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

He gently placed his hands on her hips and rolled so that she was underneath him. He took his discarded shirt from beside them and balled it up before placing it underneath her head. She grinned sweetly at him.

Cornelia played with button at his jeans before popping it open and pushing the fabric down his narrow thighs. Caleb did the rest of the work, kicking them off to the side with Cornelia's dress. All that separated them was their thin layer of underwear. Caleb groaned, painfully aware of how hot Cornelia felt underneath him. He bought his hand up to unhook her bra, as Cornelia arched forward allowing him access. Once it's removed he pulls back slightly to admire his girlfriend in all her glory.

He looked down at her fidgeting self-consciously, with her eyes closed. He bought his face close to hers so that she can feel his hot breath against her cheek, her nipples taut against his chest. "Open your eyes. I want you to look at my face so you can see how beautiful I think you are."

Her eyes opened in surprise at his sweet words. Normally Caleb would find it hard to express his intimate feelings but being here with her, just like this, it was hard not to say what was on his mind. Once he saw the adoring look upon her face he had no doubt that it was worth it.

Gently he slid his hand up to cup her breast, feeling the weight of it in his palm. He moved, pressing a knee between her thighs and shifting his weight so that it rubbed her between the apex of her thighs. Light, delicious pressure that caused her to gasp in a heavy breath. He bought his hand down to toy with the edge of her underwear, his eyes always on hers. Without breaking eye contact he edged his hand inside and with his finger starts to massage her soft flesh.

She slowly closed her eyes a she felt such sweet pleasure, little mewling sounds escaping her mouth. Caleb grinned at her, loving the way she responded to him. Those cute little sounds fueling his desire for her. Caleb continued his ministrations until her hand reaches out to find his neck. Her fingers pull and tug at the hair there as she gasps heavily. He speeds up his actions, unconsciously rubbing himself against her smooth thigh for some sort of relief.

Suddenly she opens her eyes, searching for his face, for his permission. He lent down and kissed her earlobe, whispering to her; "It's okay I've got you, let go."

Pleasure shot through her body, radiating from her core. She had to physically remind herself to keep breathing; the only thing tethering her down was Caleb's strong hold on her.

He watched her face, almost pained, as she orgasmed. She had never looked more beautiful to him, writhing about under his fingers, her face openly displaying the pure bliss she was feeling. Her breathing began to calm and her eyes opened slowly as she looked up at him tenderly.

He gave her a self-satisfied smile which she couldn't help but return.

"Caleb?" She whispered. "Do you think it's possible that anyone else in Meridian is doing this very same thing at this very same moment?" she reached up a hand to lovingly caress the side of his face.

He looked down at her, letting all his adoration for her show. "I hope so; otherwise, what the hell are we trying to save?"

* * *

_I started writing this due to my disappointment at lack of CxC fics and what was originally just going to be around 1,000 words turned into this. I know the show came out years ago but if there are still some people who read W.I.T.C.H fan fics then please drop me a review._

_Thanks!_


	2. Bye friends

_SO I'm making a story out of this! Chapters a little short but needed a transitional piece to take me from the original one-shot into the main storyline. Future chapters will be longer. Let me know if you like it/like this idea. I'm unsure how many CxC fans there are reading this so would be nice to know. Thanks for the people who have already reviewed, your kind words and faith in the pairing inspired this story._

* * *

"So what, that's it, you're just leaving Heatherfield? We only graduated last week Corny, when did you decide this?!" Will stood in the middle of Cornelia's empty bedroom eying the cardboard boxes that littered the room with scorn.

"Will, school's over. We're adults now, time to get on with our lives."

"But what about W.I.T.C.H?"

Cornelia stopped packing and turned to look at her friend who was standing with her head hanging down and playing nervously with her hands in front of her.

"It's over, we won remember? Elyon's happy ruling as their queen. They don't need us to protect them anymore."

"But it isn't just Meridian. We're Guardians of then Infinite Dimensions!" Will looked at Cornelia desperately, trying to make her understand, to change her mind.

"Shhh!" The blonde hissed. "My parents are in the living room!" she gave Will a dirty look before standing and walking over to her friend. She placed what she hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You seriously didn't expect me to stay in Heatherfield my whole life on the off chance we were summoned back did you?"

Will hated that she almost agreed with her. She tried to think of anything she could say to change her mind.

"What about Caleb? What does he have to say about all this?"

Cornelia looked down letting her hair fall in front of her face.

"I haven't told him." She shrugged.

"What?!"

"We're from two different planets. It was never going to work out. He doesn't want to live on Earth and I don't want to live on Meridian. Sure it's great for now, him folding here to spend time with me but what happens years down the line? What happens when I want a family or to get married?"

"He at least deserves to be told Cornelia. You can't just drop off the face of the Earth and leave him wondering what happened. Don't you love him enough to end it with him in person?"

"How can you even question how I feel about him? He is everything to me, that's why I'm doing this now. If I end it now he'll get over it eventually. I can't waste years of my life knowing I can never have anything more with him. It's painful enough as it."

"Sounds like you're just thinking about yourself." Will tried to reign in her anger but she couldn't help it, Cornelia could be so selfish sometimes.

"I am thinking about myself. I spent most my teen years lying to all my friends and family, sneaking out to risk my life fighting evil so I think I deserve this. I don't care if that sounds selfish."

"I understand, really I do." Will tried to placate her friend, hoping to use a different tactic to make her see sense. "You don't think there are days when I want to run away and hide too? But I don't… because this is my responsibility. The war may be over but if Kandrakar ever calls, I'll be right there. And we need you; it takes five elements, five Guardians, not four."

"Quit the guilt trip. I've made up my mind. And I'm not running away, I'm finally starting my life. Seeing the world…. _This_ world."

"And you're just going to leave us all behind? As easy as that?" Will felt the tears form in her eyes without her consent. Cornelia and the other W.I.T.C.H girls were the biggest part of her life. They had so much history, how could she just leave? How could she let them all down like this?

"Will you're choosing to stay here out of some misguided sense of nobility. Don't get mad at me because I don't want to stay. I don't owe you or Kandrakar anything. You're my friend and you always will be, but I need to do this."

Cornelia walked out to her living room, Will following slowly behind her.

"It's getting late we need to leave now if we're going to take you there and get back to Heatherfield before it gets dark. You ready to go?" Elizabeth Hale asked her eldest daughter.

"You bet." Cornelia forced a smile before turning to her friend. "Take care of the brat for me okay?" she whispered.

"What do I do when she starts asking questions? When it's time for her to learn who she really is? She needs her sister Cornelia."

"That won't be for years, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Now are you gonna give me a hug or let me go without saying goodbye?" Cornelia raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow in question.

Will sighed before pulling the blonde into her arms. "I hope when you get to New York you realise just how shit your life is without us in it and come running back. I'll be waiting. Love you Corny."

Cornelia squeezed her eyes shut at Will's words. Tears threatened to fall but she beat them back. "Love you too bestie."

She pulled back looking at her friend once more. Knowing that when she left Heatherfield she was going to cut all contact with her old life, she couldn't help but sniffle, but she was determined. She needed this, needed a fresh start. She could break down later.

Cornelia, Will, Elizabeth, Harold and Lillian walked from the apartment to the outside street. The road was littered with orange leaves that blew around aimlessly in the August wind. Harold placed Cornelia's last box of belongings in the back of the family car.

Cornelia turned to Will with a tormented look on her face. "Will you… will you tell Caleb I'm sorry? No matter what he thinks of me, I never meant to hurt him."

Will nodded and then watched as Cornelia and her family got into their car and drove away.

* * *

Review?


	3. Coming back

_I really hate writing in my own characters into a story. I feel like it really disrespects the universe the author/s worked so hard to create. Therefore the guy Cornelia is dating is Vance Michael Justin and I haven't named her room mate. Probably going to go with Alchemy. Note that whilst I used their names they are not the same characters in the cartoon. They have their looks and names but wont be the same people that W.I.T.C.H already knew/met. Cornelia's room mate is just a random girl she met and started living with to be able to pay rent and Vance is an up and coming actor whose dad is really rich._

_Well on with the show..._

* * *

"Move your ass already; you're going to be late!" The brunette knocked against the bathroom door she shared with her flatmate before yelling; "It's like you're purposely trying to mess this up."

The door swung open to reveal an annoyed looking blonde.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she glared at her friend, daring her to answer.

"It means Corny, that you hardly ever go out on dates and I don't understand why. One of the richest, not to mention hottest, guys in town wants to take you out tonight and you're hiding yourself away in our bathroom."

"I was just doing my hair." Cornelia answered flippantly.

"For nearly two hours?"

"I want to look my best for him, don't I?"

"We both know you would look fucking fabulous no matter how you did your hair."

Cornelia shrugged past her flatmate and wandered into their shared living room to inspect herself in the full length mirror. Her friend was right, she did look pretty good. You would never be able to tell she was 26, she still looked eighteen. Her body was slim and tall with an ample amount of cleavage. Her face was sharp and angular with large blue eyes and full lips, which now sported dark red lipstick. She had dark golden blonde hair that fell down to her small curvy waist, which she had delicately curled at the ends to soften her look. She wore a small black dress with delicate scallop edges which complimented her lithe figure, fit from all the years ice skating she had done.

"You sure you don't just want to take yourself out on a date?" her friend laughed as she watched the blonde admire herself in the mirror.

"Don't be jealous just 'cause I'm beautiful." Cornelia saw her friend roll her eyes in the reflection of the mirror and laughed.

Suddenly a loud buzzer rang through the apartment causing the brunette to smile widely. "That'll be him, I'll go buzz him in."

Cornelia sighed, giving her appearance one last look over. She smoothed down some non existent wrinkles in her dress before moving to the couch to put on her dainty silver heels. Inside her head she was giving herself a little pep talk.

She could do this. Her date was hot and totally into her. She deserved to be happy. So why did she feel like she had a brick in her stomach, weighing her down?

"Well don't you look perfect!" She heard his smooth, overly confident voice as he came into her living room. She looked up first to see his brown leather Gucci shoes, then his tall thin legs encased in Armani suit trousers. She noted his crisp white Prada shirt all finished off with a black Armani blazer covering his narrow shoulders.

"Vance." She smiled appreciatively. "Nice outfit."

He held out a hand, which she gladly accepted. "Shall we go?"

She picked up her silver clutch and looked back to see her flatmate grinning expectantly at her. "Sure." She replied.

* * *

"Normally you would have to be on a waiting list for months to eat here, but it's no problem for my family." Vance winked smoothly.

Cornelia looked around at the restaurant where they were currently seated, the interior was intimately decorated and an expensive chandelier hung from the high ceiling casting a soft light around the room. She looked at the immaculately dressed diners as they sipped champagne and ate tiny portions of food.

"Well I'm honored." She tried to sound flattered but it came out as more sarcastic, luckily her date didn't seem to notice. She looked at the menu in her hands to try to distract herself from her troubling thoughts.

_This is all you've ever wanted, what's wrong with you?_

A waiter approached their table to take their order and Vance looked up at her with a smirk. "What champagne would you like? Any bottle you want, I can afford it."

She smiled politely before pointing to a random name on the drinks list.

"Ah Dom Perignon, a fine choice." The waiter commented.

She looked down at the menu and almost blanched as she realised the cost of her choice. $40,000. She was an independent hard working woman but there was no way she was going halves on the bill with him. She wouldn't be able to pay her next years worth of rent if she blew $20,000 just on drinks alone.

She had a nice modest apartment in New York but due to its location it wasn't cheap. She had to get a flatmate just to be able to pay the rent on the place. She worked practically every hour of the day as a PR manager just to be able to afford her modest lifestyle. She knew she could quite easily afford these things if daddy was bankrolling her, just like Vance's father was paying for his sons extravagances. She stopped that particular train of thought before it could go any further, she hadn't spoke to her parents in years. The odd e-mail or text but other than that she had practically disowned them.

She felt the guilt settle in her stomach but decided to order her starter and main and try to enjoy the date. Anything to take her mind of how she was really feeling.

"I'll have the duck for starters and the chicken main please." She smiled at the waiter who scribbled down her order on his notepad.

"I'll have the matsutake mushroom starter and for the main I'll have the smoked salmon." He dismissed the waiter with a wave of his hand before turning back to the blonde before him. "Are you having a good time?"

"What's not to love?" but even she couldn't find the truth in her own words.

"You are a lady of class Cornelia Hale; you deserve only the finest things in life. I could tell that about you the first moment I met you."

She remembered back to the party she had been in charge of organizing; an after party for a famous director who was celebrating the fact that he had finished filming his latest movie. That's where she has met Vance. It was his first role in a major film. He had played Brad Pitt's daughter's boyfriend. She suspected his father's wealth and connections had got him the small part in the film as he was no Oscar winner.

She said nothing, just gave him a coy smile before fiddling with the lace napkin that was placed in her lap. The conversation felt so awkward, so forced on her part.

_This is why you don't go on dates; _she thought to herself.

"So tell me more about yourself, I want to know every interesting thing about your life." He lent over the table to grab her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. She shuffled nervously in her seat, having no idea what to say to that loaded question.

"There's nothing interesting to tell." She spoke quietly, her voice soft. "I was raised in Heatherfield by my-" she choked slightly before continuing; "-my parents, I attended school, decided I wanted more out of life so shortly after graduation I moved to New York."

"So brave." He smiled but there was little sincerity to his voice. "Moving out here, all on your own, no money, no job. I would never be able to do that."

She didn't doubt him.

The waiter interrupted for a brief second to place a bottle of their chosen champagne on the table before pouring each of them a glass. She smiled her thanks at him as he left them to it.

"Well I did live in some tragedies of apartments before I got my current job but it was worth it. It taught me the real value of things in life."

She thought she saw him roll his eyes but before she could comment he was leaning over and playing with a curly tendril of her hair, twisting it round his finger. "How cute. It's good that you got that little independent phase out of the way. But that's all behind you now. You have an excellent job and a nice apartment in a well respected area. You never have to go back to slumming it in the rough parts of New York, not with me by your side."

She imagined in his head he thought that was a really charming and romantic thing to say but she barely resisted the urge to punch him.

_What were you expecting? You knew he was like this when you accepted the offer to have dinner with him. _She bitterly removed her hand from his grip and grabbed her glass, downing the sweet tasting alcohol in one go.

"Are you okay? You look rather red."

"Fine." She clenched her teeth together to keep herself from insulting him. That was when she felt it, a wave of nausea rolling through her body and shaking her from within.

_What the…? _She knew she disliked the guy but to make her feel physically sick like that, that was something else.

Then it hit her again, it felt like a punch to the gut and she placed her empty glass on the table so that she could freely clutch at her stomach. A large gasp escaped her as she tried to breath through the pain.

"Cornelia?" She heard her date's worried tone but she couldn't think, could barely breathe.

"If you'd just…_uhh_… excuse me for one moment? I need to get some air." She stood abruptly, gathering strange looks from the other patrons near by.

"Shall I come with you?" she saw him begin to rise from his seat but she quickly shook her head.

"No." She smiled through gritted teeth. "It's just women's problems. I'll be back in two." She lied.

She rushed to the back of the restaurant, opening the fire door which led to a small alleyway and roughly shut it behind her. Gagging into the air, she bent over, leaning a hand on the wall for support.

_What is wrong with me?_ She panicked, trying to keep her breathing even. She stood like that for a good five minutes before the feeling began to dissipate.

She felt the cold night's air chill her through her small dress and turned around to face the restaurant door, absentmindedly rubbing the cold flesh of her exposed arms.

Before she could reach out a hand to open the door a strange whirling noise sounded around her, causing her to jump back in alarm. The door in front of her seemed to melt as if being ripped in two and then she watched in amazement as a rip in the sky floated in front of her. She realised too late that a fold had just opened directly in front of her and a figure was stepping through it.

The sickness she felt had been Kandrakar calling and it had tricked her into leaving the crowded restaurant to a deserted alleyway where she could be confronted by whoever was entering through the fold. She panicked and like a skittish cat made a run for it. Her expensive designer heels however, weren't so helpful. She barely made it more than two steps before a pale blue hand encased itself around her slim arm, yanking her to a stop.

"Earth Guardian we've been looking all over for you."

She had two options, play dead or play dumb.

"Wh-what are you?" She stammered, hoping she sounded convincing.

"I might almost believe that if you didn't look exactly the same as the last time I saw you." Vathek smiled down at her as she resisted the urge to hit him over the head with her traitorous designer shoes.

Well since playing dead wasn't an option she was going to have to try to escape. Using all the strength she could muster she pulled up her leg before forcing her sharp heel down on his foot. Vathek yelped in surprise, momentarily letting the Guardian free as she made a run for it. He cursed to himself before quickly diving after her, pulling them both down to the floor in the scuffle. Cornelia went down first, her arms scraping against the floor as she went, Vathek landing slightly on top of her to stop her moving. She cried out in pain as he straddled her, pulling her arms behind her back to restrain her. She twisted from side to side but she was no match for his strength… at least not as a human.

"I'm disappointed Guardian. I remember a time when you would have been able to take down a man twice my size with just the flick of a finger."

She growled, turning her head to glare at him. "Yeah well that time is over and my name is Cornelia, not Guardian!"

He shook his head wondering what had happened to make her so bitter. He'd never really understood why she had left. Will couldn't really explain it to them either. He just remembered how unhappy his friend Caleb had been. He'd locked himself in his room for a week before venturing back out. But by then he was a different man entirely. A trained and skilful leader of the Queen's Honour Guard. Ruthless and cunning. He was no longer a boy.

"Sorry _Cornelia _but I'm afraid you're coming with me. Meridian's in trouble so I don't really care what you want." He quickly rose to his feet pulling the dainty Earth girl with him. In one swift move she was dangling over his shoulder, her hands automatically going to the bottom of her dress, tugging it down so as not to expose her modesty. She bought a hand up and clawed at his back, banging her fist against him and demanding to be let go. Vathek frowned in annoyance before stepping through the fold and back to the Queen's palace.

* * *

Will paced the floor anxiously looking at the unsure faces of her friends.

"Do you think he found her?" Taranee spoke first, interrupting Will's pacing.

"The heart was going crazy, I know it located her."

"So what's taking so long?" Irma picked at her nails impatiently, looking to Will for an answer.

"I'm guessing she didn't want to be found."

Hay Lin was the only one to react, letting out a small sorrowful sigh. "We were kidding ourselves to think otherwise. We haven't seen or spoken to her in years guys."

"We all had to grow up Hay Lin but whenever we were needed we came back, just like now." Irma muttered, annoyed at Cornelia _as always_. Hay Lin gave a sad smiled, it was _almost _like nothing had changed.

"We've only been called back twice in the past eight years." Taranee pointed out quietly, not sure if she was defending Cornelia or not.

"Even so we all dropped everything and came running. And we've all been back to visit Elyon and check how things were going. We don't just come to Meridian in emergencies." Surprisingly it was Will who was angriest at Cornelia. She'd known her the least amount of time yet she had been the most affected by being cut out of her life. "She moved to the other side of the country, changed her number and deleted us out of her life. It's obvious she doesn't want to come back."

Hay Lin turned away, hating Will attacking Cornelia like that. It may have been eight years since she last spoke to her friend but Hay Lin was loyal to a fault.

"She's missed so much of our lives." Will whispered. Everyone looked up in surprise to find that she was no longer angry but on the verge of tears. Irma made her way over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hay Lin, you got married. Cornelia would have loved to have seen that. Hell, she'd have demanded to be maid of honour." Will let out a sad chuckle as the other girls looked at each other worriedly.

"She's not dead." Irma pointed out.

"No." Will snarled pushing away from Irma. "It's worse. She's alive but just doesn't give a fuck about us, any of us."

"Babe it's been eight years, let it go." Irma tried to lighten the mood but Will just glared at her furiously.

"Aren't you mad Irma? You have a baby! Cornelia missed her best friend having a child. And me, well I'm fucking divorced. She should have been there with ice cream and trashy chick lit books, just like you guys were. And Taranee…" Will trailed off, unsure of how to sum up the last eight years of her friend's life.

"Got fat and came out as a lesbian?" Taranee offered with a shrug.

Irma couldn't help but laugh. "And gained a sense of humour;" She added. "It's probably a good thing Cornelia wasn't there for your coming out, you know she'd probably think you had a major thing for her and that's the reason you went gay."

Taranee rolled her eyes before looking at Irma with a wink; "You're more my type."

Irma smiled flirtatiously before replying; "You'd better hope I don't tell your girlfriend you said that."

"Guardians." The four friends looked up to see a few members of Elyon's Honour Guard join them, Aldarn speaking to them quickly; "Has Vathek not yet returned from Earth?"

"No." Will grumbled before walking over to the huge table in the center of the room that held all their maps and battle strategy plans. "We should get started."

"I agree." Julian stepped forward, grey hair littering his head and large bushy beard. The others followed him over to the table just as the door opened to reveal their leader.

Caleb strode into the room, giving the open fold in the corner a disdainful look as he approached the table.

"The Queen will be down momentarily. For now I think we need to decide what to do about the stone men that were attacking the city earlier today."

Caleb listened intently as his men gave suggestions and traded ideas with each other. Will looked over and caught his eye, giving him an encouraging smile. If anyone knew how tough Cornelia's sudden disappearance had been for her, it was him. Once he turned back to address one of his men she took the chance to study him but as usual his expression was unreadable. She found it hard to associate this man with the boy she knew from her childhood. This man was war driven, honour bound and a true leader. Teenage Caleb had been optimistic and full of humour. She couldn't see that in him anymore. She did note however that the years had been kind to him. His body was marked and scarred from battle but was muscular and lean from fighting. His hair was slightly longer, reaching just past his ears, but was still thick and a rich shade of dark brown. He was dressed in dark pants, large black boots and a form fitting grey t-shirt. He lent over the table, the fabric of his shirt straining against his muscular arms as he pointed to something on the large map that covered most of the table.

A sudden noise from the corner of the room stole their attention as they all turned quickly to see Vathek stepping through the fold and into the room. They were greeted with the site of thin tanned legs kicking furiously at his chest, as the person slung over his shoulder muttered expletives.

Will froze, instantly recognising that voice. It may have been eight years but she'd know that voice anywhere, even if it was raised in anger and yelling curse words.

"You put me down right now you big blue fuck. I swear I will end you…. You'll wish you'd never been born."

"How terrifying." Vathek deadpanned before promptly releasing the blonde and watching her fall to the floor with a thud.

Cornelia hissed in pain as her already sore arms made contact with the solid flooring. She landed on her back, glaring up at her captor. She was about to resume her yelling when a a quiet cough from Irma made her pause and slowly turn her head.

She almost had a heart attack at what she saw. Elyon's Honour Guard stood looking at her with unabashed disapproval, along with her old friends. They were all dressed in casual clothing and giving her angry looks, all except Hay Lin who was positively beaming. Then her eyes landed on _his _and she quickly looked away, afraid of what she might see in his eyes. She couldn't bear to have him hate her, even if she deserved it.

She let out a steadying breath before pushing herself up from the floor and steadying herself on her large heels. She pulled her dress down self-consciously before running her fingers through her hair in an effort to tame it. She finally lifted her head and gave the room a small fake smile. "I'll just be going home now, if you don't mind…."

* * *

Review?


	4. Dungeons

_Only a short chapter but thought I'd post it. Thanks for the reviews I've received, always great hearing what you think._

_Enjoy._

* * *

Cornelia cringed where she stood, she could _feel _the awkwardness in the room. She had her head up but she was deftly avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room. She felt a heavy hand come down on her shoulder and heard Vathek's deep voice.

"You're not going anywhere."

"That's enough Vathek." She resisted the urge to look up sharply when she heard _his _voice speak, so strong and commanding. She observed how everyone in the room listened and obeyed when he spoke.

"But Caleb-" She shivered just hearing his name but Vathek was quickly cut off with just a look from his leader.

Will wasn't sure what she was feeling at seeing her old friend but as the leader of the Guardian's and as a protector of the infinite dimensions she knew she had to try and keep the peace here. Now wasn't the time for her own feelings, she had to think of Meridian.

"It's okay… Cornelia." Everyone in the room heard Will audibly cringe as she said her name. "We just want to fill you in on what's been happening and then you can decide whether you want to help or not."

Cornelia gave her a decisive look.

Will sighed. _Clearly she's already made up her mind. Why am I not surprised? _

The door to the room opened suddenly as a young male stepped in, dressed in fancy attire. He gave a low bow as he turned to the person entering behind him.

"Her majesty, Queen Elyon has arrived."

Cornelia's breath caught in her throat as she looked upon her old best friend. She walked with such grace, adorned in beautiful rich robes and a gorgeous silken dress. Her hair was so long it almost touched the floor and was still a beautiful pale silver blonde. Her face was smooth and youthful but her aura spoke of wisdom and knowledge. Cornelia definitely felt as if she were in the presence of a queen and not her awkward teenage friend. She fought the urge to bow or courtesy, trying not to draw attention to herself.

She fidgeted nervously, pulling at the hem of her mini dress, suddenly feeling very under dressed. The action however caught the eye of the queen and Cornelia felt her face go red as her eyes assessed her.

"Cornelia?" She had a mother's voice and Cornelia felt like a child before her. It was such an odd feeling, she was older than Elyon yet she felt insignificant before her gaze. The queen took a step forward but was halted as two of her Honour Guards stepped in front of her.

"It's okay." The queen spoke quietly, afraid that if she raised her voice any louder Cornelia would run away, like a cornered animal.

The Guards gave each other concerned looks but dutifully obeyed their orders. They eyed Cornelia with unease as their queen approached.

"I can't believe it. They finally found you." Elyon stretched out a hand as if she were going to touch her but she quickly drew it back. She had forgotten her place. She was a queen; she shouldn't go around hugging people. It was not proper.

Will saw the pained look on Elyon's face and wished she could go over and offer her some support, but they weren't teenagers anymore. The days where they could go running up and interacting with queens were over. Elyon was proper and formal and took her place in Meridian very seriously. Whenever they visited now they stood before her in her court, just like every other visitor. They addressed her as Your Majesty and Your Highness.

"Where have you been? It's been… it's been years Cornelia. Why didn't you come and see me?"

Cornelia shuffled her foot nervously, her silver heels scuffed slightly from all the 'wrestling' she had done that evening.

"I was busy?" Her reply came out as more of a question and even Cornelia cringed at how pretentious she sounded.

"Too busy to visit your oldest friend?" She could hear the hurt in her voice and like the coward she was she couldn't even make eye contact with her.

"Elyon-"

"You will address the queen properly or we shall haul you down to the dungeons." The sharp voice of one of Elyon's bodyguards sounded, cutting off whatever Cornelia was about to say.

Cornelia's eyes widened as she turned to look at her friend, hoping she would reprimand her guard but Elyon's eyes never strayed from Cornelia's face.

"Okay…" Cornelia blew out heavily through her mouth, the force of it sending some of her hair flying around her. "_Your royal highness_;" she started with heavy sarcasm and felt Vathek poke her sharply in the back. "I don't know what you want me to say. It won't change anything."

"How about an explanation, how about any apology? Did you not even miss me a little?"

Cornelia _almost _smiled. This was the Elyon she knew. The emotional, loyal Elyon who always said exactly what she feeling.

"Of course I did. I missed you like crazy everyday. You're my best friend Elyon."

Elyon's bodyguard took a menacing step towards Cornelia as he heard her disrespectful address of the queen.

Elyon held out a slender hand, halting him and turned to give him a hard stare. Reluctantly he fell back into line.

"If you missed me so much why didn't you come visit? It's been eight years! Say something, anything Cornelia. I need to understand."

"Would anything I say at this point really make a difference?"

"I don't know." Elyon replied honestly.

"If it makes you feel any better you should know these past eight years I've been fucking miserable." She turned to Will for the first time since she had arrived and gave her a knowing look.

_I hope when you get to New York you realise just how shit your life is without us in it and come running back. I'll be waiting. _

"Then why didn't you come back?" Elyon asked quietly, her voice hauntingly low.

"It was too late."

"What too late to save your pride? That's what all this is about. You thought you could make it on your own, too stubborn to admit you needed us so you struggled for eight years because you can't admit when you're wrong."

Ouch. Cornelia almost recoiled from the verbal attack. What was worse was that every word was spot on.

"I needed to do it. I couldn't stay and wonder what I was missing out on."

"The grass is always greener huh?" Irma spoke up for first time, glaring at Cornelia.

"Why do you want to leave here so badly if you're unhappy in New York?"

"Because that's my life, don't you understand? I can't just run out on everything and everyone again."

"You didn't have much of a problem doing it last time." Hay Lin whispered sadly.

"I was young. I was stupid. I felt trapped and I just couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life folding between two planets, risking death everyday and lying to my family... it was too much. I wanted to come back but the more time passed, the harder it was. I know that's not the answer you're all looking for but I can't give you anything else."

"Yes you can." Will's voice was strong and determined. "You can help us now."

"I feel like I've reverted ten years just by being here. I'm not a Guardian anymore. I haven't used my powers in eight years, I'm not sure I even have them anymore."

"Don't be stupid Cornelia. You still have your powers, whether you like it or not." Taranee said with a dark look.

"Well then get the Oracle to give them to someone else. You can get a new Earth Guardian."

"Meridian is under attack from a force stronger than Phobos and Nerissa combined and you won't help?" Cornelia was stunned to hear the biting tone of Elyon's voice, she hadn't spoken to her like that since they were kids and Phobos brainwashed Elyon into thinking the Guardians were her enemy.

"I can't Elyon. That part of my life is over." She knew whatever she said wasn't going to change things. Everyone here hated her and they had every right too. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. Maybe if she still knew how to use her powers she could have granted herself that wish. "As fun as this reunion has been, I'd like to get going now." She knew she was being a bitch but she couldn't help but feel like she'd been ambushed. All in one night she'd been taken from the fancy restaurant she was dining in, shoved forcefully through a fold and then confronted by all of her former friends with a big blue guy blocking her exit back to New York.

"Throw her in the dungeons."

Cornelia froze, turning to look at Elyon.

"What? You can't be serious!"

"When you became a Guardian you swore an oath to protect the infinite dimensions. Meridian has called you for help and you have refused. That is treason. Guards, take her down."

* * *

Review?

Next chapter Cornelia and Caleb are finally gonna talk!


	5. Explosive meetings

_Sorry for the wait. I'm in my last year at uni so when I'm not writing essays I'm trying to write more of my stories. I wanted this chapter to be longer, wayyy longer but in the end I decided to split it and post the rest later. Partly because of all the lovely reviews, I wanted to give you something and not make you wait but also because I felt like that was a good place to end this chapter. Next chap is nearly done so I should update within the week._

_I also wanted to respond to some reviews but I'm posting this as I'm getting ready to go out so I'm sorry about that, but I read and appreciate every one. Truly. _

_As always, enjoy._

* * *

Cornelia perched daintily on the edge of the prison bed, arms folded across her chest in annoyance.

_How the fuck did I end up here?_

The room consisted solely of a small bed and tiny sink. At first glance there appeared to be no toilet but as she eyed the small hole dug in the corner of the room she suspected that she had found it.

"Lovely, just like the Four Seasons." She commented dryly.

Just a few hours ago she'd been sat in an exclusive New York restaurant with one of the wealthiest guys in town and now… she was locked in the dungeons of her old best friend's castle. She had literally been dragged down there, kicking and screaming. She glared at her bare feet, remembering the shoes she'd taken off and tried to use a weapon.

_I hope I get them back, they're Prada. _

Her designer daydream was interrupted as a hatch in the doorway was opened and she could see one of the queen's guards staring in.

"Hungry?" he asked simply.

She wrinkled her nose; just what delicacies did they serve in Meridian prison?

"I think I'll pass." She said as her stomach rumbled. She had been down here a good few hours now and she was starving but she'd be damned if she would sink as low as to eat prison grub.

"Suit yourself." The guard was about to close the hatch when Cornelia shot forward, placing her hand on it.

"Can you tell Elyon- I mean the queen, that I want to get out now?"

"Sorry there are only two people authorised to release prisoners and Her Majesty is away on business. She left an hour ago."

"Okay, well can you get the other person who is authorised to come down here?"

"No problem." He turned his back to her and then shouted to another guard who was posted further down the hall. "Tell Sir Caleb the prisoner wants to see him!"

"Sir?" She questioned before the gravity of what he had just said hit her. Her eyes went wide as she tried to reach through the door and smother the guard's mouth. "No, no, I changed my mind. I'm fine, I love it here. Book me in for the night."

He turned to her with a smug grin and she instantly wanted to throttle him. "Too late blondie." She watched in horror as the other guard wondered off, no doubt to go find Caleb.

Instinctively her hands went to her hair trying to smooth it down and she wiped hastily under eyes to remove any mascara that may have smudged during her impromptu visit to Meridian.

She looked around her prison for anywhere she could hide but as expected the room hadn't miraculously changed in the last five minutes and the only option available was to crawl under the small bed and hide.

_I won't stoop that low… at least not yet._

She heard two pairs of footsteps approaching and prayed that Elyon has suddenly returned back from her business trip.

"Blondie wants out." Was all she heard from the guard outside her door.

Keys rattled as he placed them in the lock and the door slowly opened to reveal three people stood in front of her. She saw the two guards and Caleb, looking very displeased as he stepped in front of them and eyed her wearily.

This was the first time they had made eye contact since her arrival and after avoiding it for so long now she felt like she couldn't look away. Caleb on the other hand quickly dropped his gaze, instead choosing to survey her room.

"Cosy isn't it?" She quirked an eyebrow at him, no longer being able to bear the completely awkward silence between the four of them. "Come on in, let me get you a drink… I'm afraid all I have is tap water but-"

"-Cornelia." He cut her off and she froze in the middle of her little rant, realising she was babbling due to her nerves. "What do you want? I'm kind of busy right now, so make it quick."

"Something's never change." He was always too busy for her.

He rolled his eyes but didn't comment. He turned to the guards and sent them away, saying that he could handle her. Her mind went to the gutter at that comment.

He lent against the door frame, muscled arms folded across his broad chest. His eyes bore into hers and she took a small step back at how cold they were.

"So… how have you been?" She wanted to smack herself in the face with a shovel.

_How have you been? Really Cornelia?_

His mouth curved up into a callous smirk; "That's not what you called me down here to talk about, so either get on with it or you can spend the night in here."

"Charming." Neither spoke for a moment and Cornelia fidgeted under his intense gaze. "I'd like to leave… please."

His eyebrows rose in surprise at hearing her say please. "Are you ready to be a Guardian again?"

"No."

"Then why would I let you out?"

She looked up at him in confusion; "Because… because you can't just lock up random Earth girls because they wont fight in your battles!"

"I'm not locking up random Earth girls. I'm keeping a traitorous Guardian in the dungeons, under the queen's orders."

"Traitorous? Caleb you know that's not me."

He flinched when she spoke his name and gave a short harsh laugh.

"But that's just it, I don't know you. Not anymore."

"I deserve that… but you can't punish me by keeping me captive here."

"I'm not the one who had you arrested."

Cornelia let out an agitated noise, her hands clenching into fists.

"But you are authorised to let me out…"

"If I want to." His tone implied that he didn't.

She felt like the conversation was just going round and round in circles. He clearly wasn't going to let her out… or forgive her anytime soon. Elyon wasn't going to be any easier to convince. Against her will she felt tears form in her eyes. She wiped hastily at her face. She refused to cry. Especially in front of him. She was a grown woman now. She couldn't just start bawling her eyes out anytime things got tough. Plus her mascara would run and ruin her make-up.

She heard Caleb sigh and she looked up at him with wet eyes.

"Look, if you-"

He was cut off as a large guard ran into the small room, panting and shouting Caleb's name.

"Sir Caleb! The town is under attack. More stone men have arrived. The Guardian's are already on site but they're barely making any progress. We can't lose more houses, or more lives!"

Caleb was by his side in an instant, giving orders and pulling out his sword. Cornelia could barely keep up with how fast he was talking but she could see the fear in his eyes. That scared her more than anything. Caleb was older and braver now, had the look of a true warrior. What could scare him?

Suddenly he was stood right in front of her, his eyes begging her. Asking her an unspoken question.

She wanted to run, to say no. The scariest thing she'd had to face in years was when her flatmate let her boyfriend stay over and he never flushed the toilet. She knew if she agreed she would literally be risking her life but she couldn't turn him down, not when he was looking at her like that. Like no time had passed since they had last seen each other, like he was depending on her, like he _trusted _her, _needed _her.

"Lead the way." Was all she said.

* * *

Thoughts?


	6. Fighting

Sorry it took so long! ENJOY.

* * *

"Keep up Guardian!"

Cornelia resisted the urge to bare her teeth at one of the guards who raced past her, barking orders. She was running as fast as she could but it was kind of difficult in six inch designer heels.

The ground was rough, the terrain muddy, the heels of her shoes sunk in with each stride and the mud splashed at her bare legs. She was conscious of her dress riding up and practically becoming a top as she ran as fast as she possibly could. Cornelia, Caleb and a group of guards were making their way towards where the other Guardian's were currently fighting the stone men. Cornelia still had no idea who or what they were. She should have been frightened but she just didn't have time right now to think, or to feel. She was doing all she could just to keep pace with the men in front of her.

She caught Caleb glance back at her but she knew it wasn't out of concern, more just to make sure she hadn't run away to go find a fold back to Earth. She was tempted.

The first thing she heard, besides the blood pounding in her ears, was the yells of frantic villagers and Will's high pitched voice straining to be heard over the chaos. She could see smoke up ahead and could smell the ash in the air. She surged forward, running harder, the Guardian in her awakening.

She half ran, half fell down a disused pathway and came to halt as she saw part of the town. The buildings were smoking with fire and some had doors and windows missing, walls half crumbled. People were running about in blind panic, mothers carrying children in their arms and fleeing from their homes. She saw the Guardian's in the air above and ran around the side of a large shop to see what they were fighting against.

There were six of them. All dressed in black, from head to toe, with large hoods up concealing their faces from view. They looked to be a little over seven foot tall and towered over the guards who ran up to them and started battling them with their weapons. A sword was swung at one of the stone men with great force but as it made impact with his body it bounced right back off, the force of it sending it flying out of the guard's hand.

Cornelia's mouth opened in shock. That's when she saw one of the stone men's hands come out of its sleeve, as it took a hold of the side of a building and literally crumbled a wall with one squeeze. The side of the house shook and creaked as it began to collapse without the support of the now trashed wall.

"Wow." She muttered. That was some strength. No wonder the girls were fighting them from the sky, one punch from the stone men and they'd probably be dead. One of them turned in her direction and she saw inside the black hood. A face peered back; the skin was grey and looked hard, reminding her slightly of a rhinoceros. Two black eyes were set squarely in the middle with no nose and no mouth. His hands were just as thin and grey and rough looking. The black cloaks they wore covered everything else, giving them a grim reaper style appearance.

"Will!" She yelled, realising it was time to take action. "Will!"

She saw the red headed Guardian look down in confusion before spotting her. Will stopped fighting and turned to stare at the other Guardian's with a confused look but they just shrugged back at her.

"What's she doing here?" Will asked.

"I guess Caleb let her out." Taranee pointed down to where he was battling one of the stone men.

"Are you kidding?" Irma laughed, firing a blast of water at the roof of a house that was on fire. "He hates her."

"What does she want?" Hay Lin questioned.

"Guess I'll find out. Think you guys can hold the fort here for a minute?"

"Well we're not exactly doing great right now, are we? Everything we throw at them has no effect. So sure, you go right ahead, take your time. Go have a chat with our ex best friend. Why not fit in a spot of shopping whilst you're at it, for old time's sake?" Irma muttered sarcastically.

Will shot Irma a disapproving glare before flying down to stand in front of Cornelia.

"What do you want Cornelia? I'm kind of busy. And we have double the work to do since there's only four of us." She looked pointedly at the blonde.

"I deserve the guilt trip, but I'm here to start making it up to you."

Will raised an eyebrow but didn't speak.

"I want to help." Will still didn't talk and Cornelia huffed out a sigh. "Will you just Guardian me up already?"

A smile slowly spread its way across Will's face.

"This doesn't mean you're forgiven." Will said sternly. "But it's a start."

Cornelia gave a timid smile in response. Will flew back into the sky, joining the rest of the Guardian's. She fired a shot of electricity at one of the stone men, grimacing when he looked up at her, completely unaffected.

She grabbed a hold of the heart and with a wink at the girls she looked towards Cornelia and yelled; "Guardian unite!"

Cornelia felt the magic encase her and lift her into the air. She felt herself transforming and whispered with a sad smile; "Earth."

Caleb swung his sword at the stone man he was facing off against. Each blow having no effect. He breathed heavily, feeling the sweat form on his brow from the exertion of fighting. He took a deep breath in and swung his sword heavily, in quick succession, forcing the stone man back and into a large pile of rubble. The unsuspecting enemy went falling backwards and fell to the ground. Caleb grinned in triumph as two guards rushed the stone man, landing on top of him and quickly hacking at his limbs with their knives. They frowned when they saw that they weren't even leaving a mark on him.

The stone man rose quickly, throwing the guard's off as he did. With one single push he reached out and shoved Caleb, sending him flying into a house opposite and crashing roughly into a brick wall. Caleb grimaced in pain as his back hit the brick. He looked up quickly to see the guards once again trying to stab at the stone man. He shook his head in annoyance. Nothing was working against them; it was like they were invincible. He looked around, assessing how well they were doing. That's when he saw her, Cornelia. She had just transformed and a wide expanse of her toned stomach was on show. Her slim hips were encased in a long purple skirt which had a large split up the side, exposing her long slender legs. He couldn't help but stare, even if they were in battle and he was fully grown twenty-seven year old male. She was beautiful, he could never deny. Looking at her like that, in her full Guardian outfit, made him feel like he was fifteen years old again and just seeing her for the first time. He shook his head to dispel those unwanted thoughts and with an angry snarl, pushed himself up from the ground and charged towards the enemy, sword high above his head.

Cornelia came back to the ground with a flip of her hair and looked down to see her outfit. She looked different to how she remembered. She now looked the same age as her own current age, whereas in the past she'd always grown a few inches when transforming. She admired her short top and long flowing skirt. Right now the vain side of her was really happy she had spent four nights a week at the gym for the past few years.

_I still look hot in this outfit._

She smiled, flipping her long golden hair over her shoulder, and then slowly began to fly into the air.

_It's just like riding a bike, you can do this._

She cautiously looked down at the ground, getting more nervous the higher she went. She didn't remember flying being this daunting.

_You're just getting used to it again. Eight years on the ground can do that to you._

She took in a deep breath and exhaled out, surveying her surrounding as she did. Now was not the time to be self-absorbed, she needed to help. But how? She barely remembered how to fly, let alone use her powers.

She saw the other Guardian's looking at her, all of them sporting mixed reactions.

"Hey." She said simply as she reached them.

There was an awkward silence as they all stopped fighting and turned to look at each other.

"No twenty-six year old should look that good in these Halloween outfits." Taranee was first to break the silence, giving Cornelia an envious look even as she gave her friend a soft smile.

"Taranee, you look fine." Irma rolled her eyes at her friend as she watched Taranee pull at her exposed stomach, which now hung over the waistband of her hot pants.

"You think the oracle would hook us up with some more age appropriate attire by now." Taranee grumbled in response.

"Guys!" Will snapped. "Just because Cornelia's back doesn't mean we have the time to start talking fashion. We have a village to save."

"Nothing we do has any effect on them." Hay Lin muttered sadly. "I want to help, but what more can we do that we haven't already tried?"

"So what? We just give up?"

"Well what do you suggest?" Irma snapped.

Will put a finger to her chin, thinking over their options.

"Well we have Cornelia now and we're always stronger together right? I say we all fly down there and merge our powers together. Give them everything we've got!"

The girls looked wary but agreed none the less. Flying down they came to a stop in front of the six stone men and made a circle around them. The guards and Caleb stepped out of the way, allowing the girls an unobstructed view of their enemy. Caleb passed by Cornelia, giving her a small nod. She gave him a smile which he didn't return.

"Guardianssss." One of the stone men hissed at them, his voice so quiet yet projected so that it seemed like it was whispered intimately into their ear. Cornelia shivered, thoroughly repulsed by it's almost snake like sound.

"I feel like Voldemort is in my head right now." Irma quipped.

"How do they even talk with no mouth?" Hay Lin muttered, completely creeped out.

The stone men slowly turned around, assessing each Guardian in turn. They moved as if one person, the expression on their gaunt faces never changing. When they finally turned to Cornelia they paused, as if shocked, their eyes widening ever so slightly.

"Imposssible."

The girls looked towards Cornelia in confusion.

"I know she's ugly, but no need to stare." Irma laughed. "You'll give the girl a complex."

"Irma." Will hissed, elbowing her friend lightly in the side. Clearly something was up with them. They never paused in their destruction or showed any form of surprise.

"What's impossible?" Hay Lin questioned, hoping she wouldn't get a stone fist to the face for asking. She was entirely to close to their super strength hands for her liking.

"You have a fifth Guardian." came the quiet, but eerie reply.

"You didn't know there were five Guardians?"

They almost looked offended, if stone/human faces could show that emotion.

"Of coursssse we did, you inssssolent little whore." One mocked.

"But ssssshe wassssn't meant to be here." Another added.

They talked slowly; each word was strung out and stretched, making them exaggerate the S in their words.

"What's the problem?" Will asked smugly. "Scared we'll finally kick your ass now we're at full power?"

She saw the stone men exchange meaningful looks before slowly backing away from Cornelia.

"Masssster will not be happy." One hissed.

"Not be happy." Another echoed.

All six of them proceeded to make low wailing noises which sounded like it belonged on the soundtrack to a horror film.

"Dude, that's so creepy." Irma whispered to Taranee as she nodded her agreement.

"I never want to hear this noise again; I wish they'd go back to trying to kill us." Hay Lin moaned as she covered her ears.

Cornelia looked at Will in confusion who offered no answer. She turned round to face Caleb, who was looking equally as puzzled. He caught her eye before quickly looking away.

"Fuck it." Cornelia muttered, raising her hands and shouting; "Earth!"

She hadn't used her powers in years so she was happy that when she summoned large vines from the ground that was exactly what happened.

The stone men took giant steps back, now looking deathly afraid. They had only ever walked slowly, almost at a leisurely pace and now they were almost full out running away from the Earth Guardian. Will and the others couldn't help but show their surprise. They had never seen them move this fast. Normally it looked as if they were gliding across the ground, which they could have been considering the length of their robes and the fact that their feet were never actually visible. Now they moved fast and in a panic.

Cornelia's vines came at them quickly, wrapping around them hard. The stone men struggled and within seconds were easily free, tearing with ease through the vines.

"I don't understand." Cornelia's voice sounded confused as she spoke. "Why do they look so scared when they just broke out of my vines like they were nothing?"

"Maybe they weren't that strong?" Taranee called out to her. "I mean that was your first time using your powers in eight years. Maybe you need to warm up."

Will nodded her head in agreement.

Cornelia tried again, closing her eyes and rising slightly of the ground in concentration. She summoned all of her energy and focusing all the strength she had inside her, she shot out an arm, crying; "Earth!"

Large thick vines rose from the ground, shaking the village as they grew. The girls leaped back in surprise as the plants grew and grew, jagged thorns pointing out at all angles. The vines wrapped themselves tightly around the stone men, squeezing hard.

Cornelia grinned, wiping the sweat from her face. Her feet made contact with the ground as she turned to face the girls with a smile. Just as she did she saw them look behind her in horror. She turned fast, her own smile dropping as she saw the stone men, once again, ripping apart her vines and stepping out of them with complete ease.

"T-That…" Cornelia stuttered "Those were the strongest vines I've ever made. I couldn't have done that eight years ago. I don't understand."

"If they can get out of them so easily with not a mark of them, then why are they looking at you like you're the spawn of Satan here to claim their first born?" Irma's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she spoke. "Can they even have kids?" She muttered as an after-thought. "I hope not."

They watched as the stone men dusted themselves off before quickly summoning a fold.

"They're leaving?!" Will spluttered incredulously. "They _never_ run! They normally wreak havoc, beat us into next week and then leave gloating."

The stone men quickly exited Meridian, with one last fearful look at Cornelia. The deep sorrowful moaning started up again before the fold disappeared, taking them with it.

"Ok, that was completely weird." Irma stated as she looked around at the destruction of the town. "Not that I'm complaining. That moaning noise was weird as fuck and I'm not exactly sad that I'll be missing my weakly beat down from them but still… definitely weird."

Cornelia looked up to see every eye was on her. "What?" She snapped self-consciously. "Maybe it's just like you said Will. They didn't want to face all five Guardians."

"Maybe." Will said dubiously. "But they weren't looking at us four the way they were looking at you."

"And did you hear them say that their master wouldn't be happy?" Hay Lin asked. "I had no idea they had a 'master.' They're so strong, who could be in control of them?"

Caleb stepped forward, a concerned look on his face; "Yeah and what is this 'master's' plan?"

* * *

SO yeah... I didn't get many opinions on the last chapter. Let me know if you're enjoying it, hating it.

Reviews always greatly appreciated :)


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